Rabbi films threats against him at Long Island Costco, aggressor arrested

A rabbi who was harassed and threatened with physical violence at a suburban New York Costco recorded the encounter, leading to the arrest of the aggressor.

In a Facebook post, Rabbi Avrum Fri writes that the man said to him in the restroom of the store in Lawrence, Long Island, “[expletive] Jew, the Nazis will finish you off.”

Fri says he followed the man out of the bathroom and told him to make the comment to his face while the rabbi was recording with his cellphone.

The man — identified as Justin Pichizaca, 20, of Queens — twice made a move toward Fri to hit him and said “Record all you want because a Nazi is going to f***ing kill you.”

HATE IS ALIVE IN NY: This happened in the @Costco in Lawrence, NY when a Jewish man was verbally assaulted by a neo-Nazi threatening to pull out a gun, attack him. If you know this man, please contact the Nassau County Police Department. pic.twitter.com/NgiPTxQ4WH

— NYScanner (@nyscanner) December 8, 2019

Pichizaca also threatened another Jewish customer, saying “I’m going out to get my gun and will come back to shoot you up.”

Fri says no one interceded during the extended rant.

The police officer who responded to Fri’s call said there was no case since once Fri followed Pichizaca out of the bathroom, he “became the aggressor.” A second officer said his actions were not smart since Pichizaca “clearly” is mentally ill.

Fri was later called to the police station, where the officers apologized. Pichizaca was arrested later that day.

— JTA